I decided to give up on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It just didn’t do it for me — I didn’t like the way it was written and didn’t find either main character compelling. There must be a reason everyone in the world is reading this book — unless we are all just lemmings,…
Reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… and when is violence too violent?
I finally gave in and started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (actually I badgered my mother to finish it and lend it to me). I can’t stand when everyone’s reading a book and I don’t have an opinion about it. I don’t typically read modern-day thrillers but if everyone is reading this, there must…
Review: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
I read The Woman in White because so many bloggers listed it among their favorites. I’m glad I did. The Woman in White is a Victorian mystery and a love story, and is full of drama, action, and fascinating characters. Written in 1859, the story begins with Walter Hartright, a struggling artist who obtains a…
Old memories, new challenges, and a mini-review
This weekend I traveled to sunny California for my husband’s 20th high school reunion. I haven’t gone to my own reunions, so this was a strange experience. Even without knowing anyone, I couldn’t help but flash back to my own not-so-pleasant high school experiences – it’s hard not to when surrounded by 80s photos, 80s…
Parents are no longer buying picture books for their kids?
This article in the New York Times yesterday made me incredibly sad. No, it actually made me incredibly angry. The article is about parents who are not buying picture books for their young children any more, because those books are viewed as too easy. “They’re 4 years old, and their parents are getting them ‘Stuart…
On the Hop: how we network our blogs
It’s time for another Blog Hop. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I am personally mourning the end of summer, even though fall is a beautiful season. At least I have football to compensate for having to pull jeans and jackets out of my closet. So, on to our topic for discussion, which is…
Review: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
For me, there are two indicators of a good book. One is that as soon as I finish it, I want to go back and reread the first few chapters. Two is that I find myself thinking about the book days after I’ve put it down. Oryx and Crake was that kind of book. The…
Franzen’s Freedom: Great American Novel or Overhyped?
I wouldn’t normally post about a book I haven’t read, but Jonathan Franzen’s new book Freedom has gotten so much press, and generated so many interesting discussions, I couldn’t resist. A quick recap of some of the events surrounding this book: President Obama is seen purchasing the book on his vacation several days before it’s…
Review: Under the Dome by Stephen King
What can I say about Under the Dome? It’s a Stephen King novel. It’s fast-paced, disturbing, and full of every-day stuff that scares the pants off of you because yes, it can happen to you. This is what King is good at. He takes something impossible, like a dome cutting off a town from the…
Review: The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
I first read Return of the Native when it was assigned in my high school English class. I was a senior at the time and basically an emotional mess. This book was a perfect fit. Reading it again, I wondered if it would read differently. Then I was seventeen, full of emotional angst and a…
BBAW: Unexpected Treasures
Today’s blog topic for Book Blogger Appreciation Week is this: what books have you tried because of the influence of other book bloggers? There are quite a few books in my queue because of reviews from other bloggers. Here are a few things I’ve read recently: Classics — I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many…
It’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week!
This week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week! BBAW celebrates the community of book bloggers — its theme this year is A Treasure Chest of Infinite Books and Infinite Blogs, because we find so many interesting new books to read through book blogs. That has certainly been true for me. This virtual event includes daily blogging…
The Book Stop 